BEIJING – The global tech community mourns the sudden and untimely passing of Tang Xiao’ou, the founder of SenseTime and a revered computer scientist.
SenseTime, a leading Chinese AI firm, announced the sad news in an online post, revealing that Tang succumbed to an illness that proved untreatable on December 15, 2023.
In its statement, SenseTime expressed profound grief, saying, “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce to everyone the sorrowful news: Our beloved founder… Tang Xiao’ou, due to illness that could not be treated, left us forever at 23:45 on December 15, 2023.”
Tang Xiao’ou, aged 55, was an alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a former professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He founded SenseTime in 2014.
The specific cause of Tang’s death was not disclosed in the statement.
Sense Time, known for its advancements in artificial intelligence, faced challenges and controversy, including being placed on a US trade blacklist in 2019 over allegations of contributing to mass surveillance in Xinjiang.
Despite these challenges, Tang’s contributions to the field were highly regarded.
SenseTime hailed him as “an outstanding representative in (China’s) AI field,” describing him as “knowledgeable, rigorous in scholarship, truth-seeking, and pragmatic.”
The company emphasized the lasting impact of Tang’s vision, stating, “The company mission he formulated, to ‘insist on originality and let AI lead human progress,’ will inspire all SenseTime people.”
Tang Xiao’ou’s influence extended beyond SenseTime, with his extensive experience in American academia.
He earned a Ph.D. from MIT in 1996, following an MSc at the University of Rochester in 1991.
His legacy in the AI field remains, leaving an indelible mark on the advancements and progress of artificial intelligence.
